1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer mediated entertainment content. More particularly, the present invention relates to customizing entertainment content.
2. Background Art
To paraphrase Bill Murray's character in the movie “Mad Dog and Glory,” theme parks are the expediters of our dreams. The success of theme parks, such as Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., or Disney World, in Orlando, Fla., to attract visitors from around the world is testimony to the effectiveness with which those venues have captured a collective imagination and rendered it as simulated reality. The very success of these enterprises in identifying themes that are mutually attractive to a broad cross section of the population highlights one of the challenges faced by a theme park seeking to attract visitors, the challenge of offering in-park experiences exploring themes and having features that are generally appealing.
One way in which theme parks have responded to this challenge in the past is by diversifying the selection of attractions available to guests. By offering a variety of attractions of different types, and even among attractions of a similar type, presenting those experiences through a variety of themes, a broad spectrum of entertainment preferences may be catered to. For example, a single theme park may offer rollercoaster ride type attractions, water ride type attractions, entertainment-based attractions, midway game type attractions, as well as other distinctive types of experiences, in an effort to accommodate a variety of aesthetic sensibilities. Within a particular type of attraction, for example a rollercoaster type ride, the experience may be offered as a child's fantasy adventure, such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride; presented with a traditional fairy tale backdrop, as in the Matterhorn bobsled ride; or be given a futuristic spin, like Space Mountain, all of which are offered as alternative rollercoaster type attractions at the Disneyland theme park.
That the previously described approach to meeting a spectrum of entertainment preferences has historically been successful is evidenced by the worldwide popularity of Disneyland and other theme parks as vacation destinations. However, the advent of programmable portable entertainment products and devices, and the almost limitless variety of entertainment options they offer, have raised public expectations regarding the level of personal selection and customizability available to an entertainment consumer. As theme park guests begin to apply some of these heightened expectations fed by the increasing ubiquity of personal entertainment devices, theme parks may be forced to offer an ever greater variety of experiences in order to continue to provide the high level of entertainment satisfaction they have traditionally been identified with.
One strategy for meeting this new challenge is to increase the number and continue to diversify the types of attractions available in-park. Due to cost and resource constraints, however, there is a practical limit to how many distinct physical attractions a theme park venue can support. As a result, and in the face of greater consumer demand for individual choice, it may no longer suffice for a theme park to offer a universal in-park experience to be commonly shared by all guests, no matter how artfully selected or designed that common experience may be. Consequently, in order to continue to provide the public with a high level of entertainment satisfaction, theme parks may be compelled to find a way to provide a variety of distinct experiences from a single in-park attraction.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a solution enabling a theme park guest to enjoy a customized experience when interacting with an in-park attraction.